European titles for Ardigo and Manetti

Held in beautiful sunshine, the second round of the European Karting Championship organised last weekend at Varennes-sur-Allier (France), provided the public massed around the track with a high-quality show. On this fast circuit where the slipstreaming phenomenon facilitates overtaking manoeuvres, the racing was superb and victory was often settled only in the last metres of the races.

Unlike the other classes, for KZ1 it was the final of the European Championship. Twice winner at Ugento, the Italian Alessandro Manetti was the firm favourite… but the Belgian Jonathan Thonon kept the suspense alive until the end by imposing himself in the first race ahead of the Frenchman Thomas Mich and Manetti.

The suspense went up a notch after the retirement of the Intrepid driver in the second race (with a broken engine) because if Thonon won he would grasp the title. However, the spearhead of the CRG works team, who got caught in a multiple crash involving the four leaders (Iglesias, Toninelli, Mich and Thonon), saw all his hopes gone and had to leave victory to Manuel Cozzaglio (Monza). Manetti carried off a third European crown after his two world titles, thus demonstrating that he also belongs to the living legends of Karting!

Continuing on his winning streak of Ugento, Marco Ardigo added two further wins in KF1, the world’s top Karting category. With four victories in as many races, the Italian of the Tony Kart team will only have to appear in the final to be held at Salbris (in France, from 3 to 5 August) in order to land a third consecutive European crown. Such an absolute domination is unusual in international Karting.

However, Ardigo had to fight hard to finish twice ahead of his British team-mate Gary Catt. Denmark’s Nikolaj Bollingtoft (Kosmic) and Britain’s Jason Parrott were also delighted to climb
on the podium but they know that they will now fight only for a vice-champion title.

Finally, KZ2, the second division of 125 cc gearbox karts, which is also the category with the largest number of competitors, saw the Italian Michele Santolini (BRM) prevail twice ahead of the Belgian driver Rick Dreezen. The Italian Gianluca Cane (BRM) and the Lithuanian Kazimieras Vasiliauskas (CRG) completed the two podiums. In the championship, Santolini has taken a big step towards the title, but Rick Dreezen and Kazimieras Vasiliauskas are not far behind. The next meeting of the KZ2 karts is scheduled for Sarno (I) from 31 August to 2 September, at the same time as the World Cup for KZ1.

KF1

1. Marco Ardigo (I), 100 pts
2. Gary Catt (GB), 50
3. Jason Parrott (GB), 46
4. Armand Convers (F), 45
5. Michael Christensen (DK), 38
6. Nikolaj Bollingtoft (DK), 35
7. James Calado (GB), 32
8. Matias Laine (FIN), 27
9. Davide Fore (I), 23
10. Arnaud Kozlinski (F), 21

KZ1

1. Alessandro Manetti (I), 66 pts
2. Jonathan Thonon (B), 61
3. Manuel Cozzaglio (I), 46
4. Je?re?my Iglesias (E), 46
5. Thomas Mich (F), 41
6. Francesco Laudato (I), 39
7. Roberto Toninelli (I), 35
8. Verdi Geurts (NL), 32
9. Armando Parente (P), 26
10. Pierre Ragues (F), 22

KZ2

1. Michele Santolini (I), 67 pts
2. Rick Dreezen (B), 56
3. Kazimieras Vasiliauskas (LT), 53
4. Thomas Knopper (NL), 45
5. Danny Bleek (NL), 39
6. Gianluca Cane (I), 33
7. Gary Carlton (USA), 28
8. Tony Lavanant (F), 26
9. Joffrey Demanse (F), 22
10. Menno Meijers (NL), 21

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